Hidden Gem of San Antonio: Nowhere Bookshop
Jenny Lawson in Nowhere Bookshop, San Antonio, Texas
When I visited the Nowhere Bookshop with my friend, the first thing I noticed was the atmosphere. Sure, I noticed the loads of books lining the shelves. I mean, it’s a bookstore, why wouldn’t you notice them? However, it wasn’t the novels that made the store unique, but the relaxing atmosphere that made me want to explore more. The proprietress of Nowhere Bookshop, Jenny Lawson, wanted to express that feeling greatly.
Jenny Lawson, owner of the independent bookstore Nowhere Bookshop, lives in San Antonio, Texas, with her husband, their child, 3 cats, and dog. Lawson is a #1 New York Times bestselling author best-known for her works including Let's Pretend This Never Happened, Furiously Happy, Broken and You Are Here. She mainly writes dark humor memoirs that focus on her ability to mortify herself and her struggle with mental illness.
Jenny Lawson with her book, Broken
I remember finding the bookshop by chance. My friend and I were originally supposed to go to Barnes and Noble to look for our first summer reading. Yet, she suggested this quaint little bookshop located in Alamo Heights. From there, we managed to find our book, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. While roaming the store with my book in hand, I peeked at the spines along with their titles; some titles I recognized and some I didn’t.
As I kept exploring, I realized the bookstore was truly unique. “Nowhere is a strange and lovely shop that is filled with tiny bits of magic all around,” Lawson says. “There are window seats to curl up in, a crystal pirate ship hanging from the ceiling, a bar with everything from booze to hot cocoa, and tiny book nooks hidden around.”
Lawson said Nowhere is filled with a team of people who love books, their inventory is curated by the team who loves to interact and talk about books. When I asked her what inspired her to open an independent bookshop, she said she felt she needed a space to call her own. “I've always felt that bookshops and libraries were a sort of sanctuary and a passport to places and ideas that most of us never get to explore,” she recalls. “The idea of creating a space like that in my town felt like something that was needed.”
The shop features unique events such as local authors for signings and readings. The shop includes lots of signed books by bestselling authors, including new up-and-comers. The store even promotes many book clubs where people pay a monthly or quarterly fee as well as mail them brand new books the store loves. The book clubs include Fantastic Strangelings, Nightmares from Nowhere, Happy Endings Club, and the Itty Bitty Book Club which is for kids.
Lawson is personally proud of the horror collection since she tends to be drawn to the genre. “I borrowed my grannie's Stephen Kings in elementary school and never looked back,” Lawson said. “And the new wave of horror writers out now are incredible. We even opened up a horror book club where we mail terrifying tomes to people once a month.”
Once Lawson told me about all the diverse books they display, I had to ask: How do you decide which books to recommend to customers? The bestselling author told me the team reads constantly and makes decisions on what should be showcased. She searches for books that tell stories that make her think. “I want to read things that inform me about people who are different from me and who can teach me,” Lawson says. “Another team member is great at picking uplifting romance. Another (team member) might have their finger on the pulse of graphic novels or children's books.” Lawson says the average person would find their selection to be a blend of popular bestsellers and classics mixed in with a diverse selection of incredible books that you may never have been introduced to otherwise.
Nowhere Bookshop even includes many progressive books, which can be a bit of a revolution in Texas, but is necessary, especially when more and more books are being banned, Lawson says. “Last year we got a one-star review from someone who complained that ‘there is a very political feel to most of the products and book selection. Leave the propaganda at home and let's just read.’,” Lawson says. “We responded ‘come for the cool chairs, stay for intersectional feminism’ and then sold the review printed on a Nowhere sweatshirt, which went viral.”
While the store is praised, it wasn’t always that way. The Nowhere Bookshop originally opened a week before lockdown and Lawson thought they were done before they even started. However, the store weathered the storm as so many people joined their clubs and ordered from them online. “It’s hard to compete as an indie bookshop,” Lawson expresses. “Luckily we have a great community to support us and our book clubs (to) keep our heads above (the) water.” The bookshop waited a year before fully opening its doors to the public, prioritizing the safety of its team and community. The support they received from everyone made this decision an easy one.
The store, despite opening during the beginning of the pandemic, managed to maintain a strong relationship to the community. Lawson says the bookshop provides a place to meet and discover other book lovers like her. “It brings together people in a way that encourages conversation, compassion, and growth,” Lawson says. “While also allowing introverts like me to leave the house and feel like an extrovert even if all I did was roam the aisles.”
Working with schools, festivals, and local authors, the store engages with the local community of San Antonio. The week before our interview, Lawson said they had a booth at the local Pride celebration and it was amazing. Along with working with local partnerships like the San Antonio Book Festival and Librarypalooza, the store donates books to shelters and other places that need them. “We often give away banned books or bring in authors who may have been ignored or snubbed by other places,” Lawson says.
As she took me on a journey through The Nowhere Bookshop, we reflected on how far the store has come. When I asked about her future plans, she expressed her hopes for the store to grow, expand its selections, and host more events.
After hearing her story with the community, we explored how meaningful her store has become to others. Lawson shared how people have expressed to her the importance of the store, especially those who feel like they don’t fit in anywhere else. Some are so moved that it brings Lawson to tears, a wonderfully embarrassing moment for her that reassures her of the store's necessity. “It's a safe place to be different, to hide in the stacks, to visit at the bar, to meet new people,” Lawson says. “We've had people choose Nowhere as the place to propose quite often because it really is a magical sort of place.”
When I entered the Nowhere Bookshop, I knew it would leave a lasting impression. The aisles lure me in with worlds of horror, magic, and wonder. The charming cafe, offering seasonal and Happy Hour beverages, added to the allure. When I purchased my book, the cashier greeted me with a friendly smile and did something unexpected but delightful. She opened the title page and stamped it with a mark that will forever remind me of the store’s impact: a Nowhere Bookshop stamp featuring a child riding a book.
